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NewsFlash: OneTouch Ping Meter Product Recall
This just in from Diabetic Investor David Kliff:
“Animas®, the insulin pump unit of Johnson and Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), will be recalling the new OneTouch® Ping™ blood glucose monitor that works in conjunction with the Animas 2020 insulin pump. Apparently 
the problem resides with the Ping and not the insulin pump. When the two units are not synched, communicating with each other, the bolus calculator on the Ping does not work properly. The bolus calculator is used by patients to calculate the correct dose of insulin to deliver with their food intake. According to Animas the problem has been corrected and new units will be sent to replace the defective units.”
Hard to believe, since the Ping is their latest-generation meter that’s supposed to be top of the line. But according to Kliff, this is “not an overly serious issue as the Ping was just approved this past July and has only been on the market since mid-August. Based on everything Diabetic Investor has learned, the issue is software related and Animas is being proactive here not letting a minor issue turn into a major one.” Maybe so, but a bummer if you’re using the Ping.
UPDATE 10/27/08: A company spokesperson tells me the issue is limited to one feature, a bug in the “Easy Carb Calculator” that makes it less than 100% accurate when the meter is not paired with the pump. When the two are paired, everything should work fine. Nevertheless, all existing users will receive notification in the mail and a replacement system asap.
If you are effected, please call the Animas Hotline at (866) 423-4087.
Explore posts in the same categories: D-News Examined, Diabetes Product Parade, Products
Speaking of J&J diabetes-related units… I received in the mail (finally?!) a product-recall letter dated 19 September regarding One Touch Ultra test strips. Apparently a small number of strips of lot number 2829235 give erroneously low readings. This lot number appears to have been consigned to one-25-strip-vial packaging. LifeScan advises customers with strips of this lot number to not use those strips and to contact them at 1-866-249-1281 to exchange them.
Posted by: tmana | October 25th, 2008 at 3:33 pmThey went through that when the 1200 came out — same type of glitch, but this time it was only if you used the Food list. I still haven’t gotten over it and don’t use the food list like I should.
Posted by: kathleen Weaver | October 25th, 2008 at 10:41 pmHi Amy,
Why the picture of the Medtronic remote when discussing the Animas Ping?
Have you been able to confirm this yet?
Posted by: Mom | October 26th, 2008 at 4:54 amOops. The original image was yet ANOTHER co-branded model that came up under “OneTouch Ping.” All set now. Thanks.
AT
Posted by: AmyT | October 27th, 2008 at 7:40 amAnimas is dedicated to delivering the highest level of customer support and quality. To that end, today we are proactively reaching out to our customers using the OneTouch®Ping™ glucose management system to alert them that under certain circumstances, when the meter-remote and the pump are not in communication (not paired or have lost RF communication), the ezCarb bolus function on the meter-remote is not calculating the recommended insulin dose accurately. Please be assured that when the two devices are in communication all OneTouch® Ping™ Meter-Remote calculations, including ezCarb, function as described in the Owner’s Booklet. All OneTouch® Ping™ Pump calculations function as described in the Owner’s Booklet at all times.
We will be sending out new meter-remotes to customers. In the meantime, users can continue to use the current meter-remote. Remember to use the ezCarb calculator on the current meter-remote when it is paired and communicating via RF with the pump.
Questions regarding this matter can be directed to Animas at 877-937-7867.
Thanks for helping us communicate about this, Amy!
Best,
Posted by: Melissa Katz | October 27th, 2008 at 9:36 amMelissa
Hello.
Just thought you may be interested in a new recall information website.
http://www.totalrecallinfo.com
Take care.
Posted by: chris | October 27th, 2008 at 2:21 pmThis explains why my rep said the meter wouldn’t be available til next week, and so delayed the shipping of my pump. I just figured they were on back order.
Posted by: Mandy | October 27th, 2008 at 3:49 pmThanx
Hey,
I currently use the Ping management system. I don’t know why you would have a problem. My pump and meter are always paired when giving insulin using the ezCarb method. So this problem must be effecting very few Ping users
Posted by: Michael | October 28th, 2008 at 6:34 pmIts very easy not to have the meter and pump paired. My sons meter stays home when he goes to the sitter so its not lost or damaged.
Posted by: Tracie | November 4th, 2008 at 5:23 amCorrect Tracie, but why would you use the EZcarb from the “meter” and not be paired to the pump..
Posted by: Michael | November 7th, 2008 at 3:11 pmI want to go back to my old pump. I HATE the Ping by OneTouch. It is constantly having problems so I had it replaced. It is still frequently giving me error codes that say it is not primed. I have to stop what I am doing to disconnect in a clean environment, prime it and and fake filling the cannula. This means that I am wasting insulin that costs me $50 per month because of faulty equipment.
It is not just an inconvenience. It stops my insulin from pumping and I am getting inconsistent dosing. I am an intern at a hospital in the radiography department and they have become concerned that this pump is unreliable and a big distraction from my job and that I can’t be healthy – which translates to me not getting hired!!!
I can’t just stop working with my patients and go find somewhere to privately disconnect my pump to take care of it. If I don’t, however I won’t get any insulin until I can take a break – my only break is lunch or when I go home – I can’t survive on getting my insulin twice during the day!! I am a brittle diabetic which is why I am on the pump to begin with!
I have never had such an unreliable insulin pump! Is this pump highly sensitive to radiation?? I work in x-ray but I had no trouble with the old pump.
In addition, I have tried calling several times and waited more than ten minutes to get to a live person. I have called during the evening and on a recent holiday and no one would answer the phone… the answering service is NOT answering. I had to try calling in the morning and no one would answer the phone until after 8:00 am — I had to ask my husband to keep trying because I can’t be on the phone when I am working.
It is a serious problem if people cannot reach anyone when you claim you have staff 24 hours a day and our lives depend on that.
My pump was also telling me the battery was low when I had put in new batteries that tested full. I had to keep replacing lithium batteries from two weeks apart to just a day.
Also, I cannot return the pump Animas replaced because DHL does not pick up and deliver any more… they are going out of business. I have tried several times to call about that too and no one is answering after 5:00 pm when I am able to call. I have wasted many, many of my alloted minutes on my cell phone plan listening to recorded messages about how someone is available when in reality no one wants to answer the phone. (I don’t have a land line)
I don’t know what happened to Animas, but I am not at all happy with the ’service’ or the new equipment. I wish I had gone to another pump provider now.
Posted by: Kay | February 26th, 2009 at 7:35 amI am using a loner pump to check PING out now that Cozmo is gone. In a week’s duration I have had this problem with EZBG three times. The transmitter gives me the same error message. I have to reprime and go thru the whole process. Possible this transmitter has a problem but most likely it is a software error. Fortunately I haven’t ordered the pump yet. The system has several other minor problems. It is definitely too slow or too fast in entry of BS readings and in confirming bolus amount.
Posted by: SamR | April 2nd, 2009 at 2:50 amMy little cousin was overdosed with the ping and ended up in the hospital for a few days, 2 times. Does anyone think this could be a glitch in the program? He is 11 years old.
Posted by: Consearned Cousin | April 18th, 2009 at 9:33 amAnimas had a special introductory price if you wanted to switch from your old pump to the Onetouch ping. You could get it for $900 or if you sent your old pump to them for $200. I have an Omnipod so I bought the new color screen PDA for $149 and sent my old Omnipod PDA to Animas. For $349 I now have both pumps.
Posted by: Fred | July 10th, 2009 at 11:25 amI was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 27 years ago and I’m using a lot of insulin, I had to change the Omnipod every 2 days.I also found it very uncomfortable to sleep with(could only use it on one side of my body because i sleep on the other side) and had many errors and occlusions
so I decided to try the Onetouch ping.
The only thing I like about the Onetouch ping is the infusion set, the fact that I can refill it and no more occlusions.
The things i don’t like:
1:They try to do everything with an up, down and OK button and if you select something you get this black blinking cursor over your selection that makes it very difficult to see (Nothing wrong with my eyes).
2: If you are in one of their menu’s to get back to the main screen you have to click the down button like 10 times to get back.
3: No timer to suspend insulin delivery, it keeps on playing a tune.
4: The remote control is very slow and takes 10 to 15 seconds to turn on. It is not a long time but if you have to do it 100 times a day it is a big issue.
5:The remote or the pump will not give you an error when for some reason you did not get a full bolus, It will flash a red light and then you have to go search through their non user friendly menu’s to find the problem.
6:The remote screen is very deep and the glare of surrounding images makes it very hard to see.
7: You can only check the status and give a bolus with the remote. You can not make any other changes including suspending insulin delivery .
8: If you give yourself a bolus with the remote then you have to wait for it to finish before putting it down and walk away. If you walk away the bolus will stop and then just give you the flashing red light as mentioned above.
9: To get your last BG reading and last bolus you have to go find it in the menu system.
10: The revision numbers are on one of the menus, why not hide that from us and take it off our menu, Trying to find something and wasting a click to look at a stupid revision number that has nothing to do with how i control my BG is a waste of our time.
I can go on and on about this Pathetic 3rd world pump and the way this pump works gives me the feeling that it is a 1990 technology that does not get used anymore.
The Omnipod menu system ROCKS, Animas should maybe look at them and learn.
I guess that’s what you get for $200